Of Money, Algorithms, and Life in the Black
by Bentdish
Summary: When our Dig Damn Ship, Serenity, starts to hurt, Mal and co. land on a small moon for repairs. There, they meet a young girl who'll come into their lives and turn it all upside down. With, of course, thrilling heroics along the way. ON HOLD.
1. The hurt, bumpkins, and mathematicians

**Okay! Reupload of the original chapter one, though after a FABULOUS review from RionaEire I went back and tied up some loose ends. And I added Chinese! So, here's how that'll work, aty the end of every phrase, there will be an asterisk, to know what this Chinese translates into, scroll to the bottom of the page and it'll be there. I was going to put the meaning in next to the phrase, but I had always though that adding things like that(A/N, translations, explanations, etc.) was kind of tacky. Enjoy the revised edition!**

**Chapter 1**

The boom shook the entire bridge, throwing it's occupants from their chairs, causing the pilot to throw the steering wheel hard to the left, making the insect shaped ship veer down and starboard.

"I'm a leaf, I'm a leaf, I am a leaf!" The man wrenched the wheel from it's position, putting it right, bringing the ship out of it's haphazard dive. Trying desperately to keep his footing, the man standing next to him looked to his left.

"You ok, Little Albatross?" He asked the young psychic who was sitting in the co-pilot seat.

She just stared at him for a second before answering in a daze, "I threw up."

"Lovely…" The browncoat muttered, "Wash, we flying straight?"

"Uh… for now. But she's rocking. Somethin' ain't right. You might want to check with Kaylee to see if the engine's shiny." The expert pilot was struggling to keep _Serenity_ straight and aloft. Rapid footsteps could be heard approaching the control area.

"River!" The pure-bred doctor ran to his sister, "Are you alright?" He immediately began checking her over, making sure she didn't have even the tiniest of scratches, if she did, Mal just knew he'd be gettin' an earful from her brother.

"No I'm alright, really. Don't worry, it's just a cut on my pinky." The captain was inspecting the centimeter long scratch on his little finger, while laying his trademark underlying tone of sarcasm on the statement. He watched as Simon walked his sister out of the room then turned his attention to the small patch of bile laying on the floor. He groaned and decided he'd have Simon or someone clean it later. Meanwhile, he would be figuring out just what had caused the boom. _No one's attackin' us. They would have fired at us again by now. Must've been the engine._ Mal considered as he headed down and past the crew's quarters. Emerging from his bunk, the man called Jayne appeared.

"What the hell was that!?" He asked as he stepped in behind Mal, following him.

"Sir? What happened?" the Amazonian woman, Zoë, was in the kitchen, and fell into step behind Jayne.

"Kaylee!" The captain called out into the small room.

"Everything's shiny, Captain." A round, grease covered face framed by chestnut hair popped out from underneath the engine.

"Then why the hell did my ship just take a small detour in the form of a nose dive?"

"The main C-40 gasket in the compressor blew, but not to worry. We had another one on board and I've already got it all in it's place and _Serenity_'s flyin' smooth… for now." She added the last bit as quietly and quickly as she could.

"'For now'?" Mal asked, worried.

"Well, the replacement compressor ain't gonna last long." She hesitantly said.

"Then make it. I need you to make my boat space worthy."

"And she is, Cap'n. but without the new part she'll only be for a while."

"How long?"

"Three days at most." The captain sighed. Why did it seem like these things always happened to him? He thought in silence for a moment.

"Ok. I'll look at our options for a rock that'll have the part. Kaylee, you work on making my ship stay up for as long as you can. Zoë, there's a small mess in the bridge I need you to deal with. Jayne… go… clean Vera. Or something." With that, Mal left the three crew members to go work on their engines, clean their guns, and wipe up some vomit while he went to pay a visit to his favorite, high class whore.

He stepped into the exotically decorated shuttle and began to speak, but before he could, she cut him off.

"How many times must I tell you, Mal? Do not just storm into my shuttle." The elegant woman sat, making tea.

"At least a couple hundred more times. So, I see you've got everything back in it's place." He looked around at the familiar curtains and bed around him.

"Yes. It's actually kind of nice to be back." He smirked at her.

"As long as you keep payin'. Listen, I need you to help me find a planet or moon near here that will have a new compressor for the engine."

"And by 'help' you mean 'do it for me'." She was reading again. Like he was one of her 'clients', "I take it that that was the reason for our little excursion a moment ago?"

"It is." They were silent while she poured herself a cup of the fresh tea.

"Why do you need me to find a planet? I know nothing of the ones this far out."

"Because I'm lazy and have important captain duties to attend to." He stated as matter-of-factly. She met him with a blank stare.

"Fine. But," Ugh, always a 'but' with her! "After the ship is repaired you have to take me somewhere I can get a customer." An ultimatum of sorts. He weighed the options.

"Ok. Deal. Get to work." He turned to leave.

"Maximum." She said quickly. Mal turned to her.

"Pardon?"

"The moon Maximum. It should have the part, the settlement is large enough. It should be cheap too." The captain stared.

"You knew about Maximum before I even came in here."

"Well, I do check the planets we're going to be near for potential clients." She had won… again. Mal grumbled and went to get the coordinates for the moon.

* * *

Two days later, Wash gently set _Serenity_ down onto the dry, hot moon.

"There's actually a settlement here?" Simon asked as he stepped out onto the lowering ramp.

"Yeah. A pretty big one, actually. Upwards of 3,000 folks." Kaylee explained, taking his hand.

"3,000 people is a big settlement?" He asked incredulously, looking out at the bit of shrubs and cacti that was about.

"It is this far out in the black." Mal cut in as he hopped up into the Mule and turned his attention to Wash, who was standing near, "Wash, we're leaving River with you."

"What? But, Mal… I don't… know her."

"And I don't want to leave her here." Simon interjected.

"Well, you gotta, Doc. You can come back before the rest of us, if you like. I just want you there in case we ain't exactly welcome. Just deal with her for now, Wash. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where do you think you're going?" He put his hand out to stop Inara from stepping up.

"I'm coming."

"Why?"

"Why is it any of your business?"

"Lemme see, oh, yeah, cause it's my ship and my Mule." Mal said in his commanding, harsh voice. Inara looked annoyed.

"I need more supplies for my shuttle."

"What ya need supplies for? All the food an' such you need is on the ship."

"I mean for while I'm off with a client. Now, I'm coming with you." She finally finished climbing in, and sat down in the back.

"Mule don't run with five, let alone six." Mal spat back.

"It'll be fine, Mal. You're not running from Reavers or the Alliance. We're just going into town." Mal dropped it, wanting to just get the part and get off this gorram rock. Mal was driving, with Zoë next to him in the passenger's seat, and Kaylee sitting on a crate between them. In the back was Inara, Jayne and Simon. Mal cranked the Mule into gear and took off toward the town of Park, leaving Wash and River in the dust behind them.

Wash noticed the strange girl staring at him, "… Hi."

"我们正处在大麻烦.*" She replied and wandered off back into the ship. Wash looked back to the speeding Mule.

"You can say that again."

Around ten minutes later the Mule stopped in front of a parts shop/junkyard, getting looks of awe from the locals due to their shiny ride.

"Whoa." the doctor added as he saw the sea of faces.

"Just ignore 'em. The backwater, country bumpkins." Jayne muttered as he leapt off and followed everyone else into the dark, tiny 'shop'. Inside, they found a young girl sitting at an old, rotted desk, doing what looked like math on a scrap of yellow paper. In fact, math was everywhere. Extensive equations and algorithms covered the walls so fully that you couldn't tell what color they really were.

"Oh yes, country bumpkins." Simon said sarcastically. Jayne glared. They all looked expectantly at the girl, waiting for her to greet them. A few minutes passed and she just kept writing. Mal cleared his throat. It worked.

"Could you look for a problem that looks like this, please?" She pointed at the paper she was working on. "The solution should say 'x = 7r3.14n'." She got up and began rummaging through the papers on the walls, and on the desk. The crew just sort of glanced around at each other, unsure of what to do.

"Didn't find it? Damn, well, gotta go to the archives." She went back to the desk and opened up the top, largest drawer. Inside, filled nearly to the point where it couldn't be open, were thousands more papers, all scribbled on. There was no system, they had just been shoved in there.

"Uh, listen. We, uh, need a part…and were kinda in a little hurry." Mal tried, hoping she would get the hint. Luckily, she did.

"Right. Sorry. I just get in this mental thingy when I'm working. What can I get you folks?" She asked looking at them for the first time.

"We need a… uh… Kaylee, what do we need?" The Captain couldn't remember.

"A compressor that'll fit a Firefly class, and it has to have a C-40 gasket, or it's no good." The girl chuckled and began typing the specifications into a computer for the part. She continued laughing.

"…Somethin' funny?" Mal asked, a bit offended.

"What? Oh no. I just, thought that Firefly's had stopped flying years ago. Although, without this part, yours isn't, huh?"

"That would be why were here. Givin' you pay." She searched for another moment or two before speaking.

"Well, hate to say it, but I don't got your part." She looked at them, waiting for their reaction. Mal rounded on Inara.

"'They'll have the part'." He mocked her.

"I said they _should_ have the part. Not that they _did_." She looked him right back into the eye, challenging him.

"But…" The girl began again, "I will have it in about three days, if you folks got no problem stickin' 'round till then." This threw Mal off his rage ride and broke the eye contact with Inara.

"Why will you have it in three days, but not now?"

"Because my supply ship will pass through then. I know for a fact they'll have one for ya. You're lucky, they only come once every month or two. You came at just the right time." They were all silent while Mal contemplated. He didn't want to be stuck here for three whole days, but, the thought of blowing up didn't sit too well with him either. He made up his mind.

"You know any where we could stay? Our ship's a ways out and our ride don't have much fuel."

"Well, there's always the local inn, but the owners a greedy bastard. His prices are crazy."

Mal sighed, "This trip's startin' to cost me a whole lot of cashy money."

"Well, you could stay with me. It's just me and my aunt in this big ol' house, with at least two spare rooms. I'll even let ya stay for free, long as you pay for your meals."

"Well, now that's an offer that's just too great. We'll stay."

"Wait, wait, wait. I can't stay from River that long." Simon butted in.

"Your sister's been doing better lately. She'll be fine."

"Sir, with all respect, I agree with the doctor. I don't want her stayin' there alone with my husband." Zoë spoke.

"Well, what? You wanna walk back? You sure as hell can't take the Mule." Everyone was silent, trying to come up with a solution.

"You could rent a horse from the stable. Prices ain't too bad, neither." The young girl seemed to be becoming more an more helpful to them. Mal looked her over. She was average height, light brown hair, light freckles across her nose, and green eyes.

"What's your name?" Mal asked.

"Luka."

"Luka what?" She laughed.

"No. Just Luka."

* * *

**Translations:**

我们正处在大麻烦 --- "We're in big trouble."

**Also! All the Chinese I put in here will be in simplified version, not traditional. **

**Review, please!**


	2. Sunsets, whores, and puke

**And another reupload with more tight ends closed up! And, yes. The only reason I had Simon go along was for the country bumpkins joke.(I probably shouldn't admit that...)**

**Chapter 2**

"You'll be careful, right? It's a long way to the ship." Kaylee asked Simon again for the tenth time.

"Kaylee, it's fine. I _have_ ridden a horse before, believe it or not. I'll see you in a few days." He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

"You'll tell Wash to bring the ship closer, right?" Mal gave him a stern look.

"Of course, Captain. It'll be here when you wake up tomorrow." With that, he took off toward the ship. With Simon gone, that left Kaylee, Zoë, Jayne, Mal, and Inara with the girl they had just met, Luka.

"Well, now what?" Jayne asked.

"Food." Mal answered. "Where can we get some?" Luka smiled and got a knowing look in her eyes.

"Well, on this moon, the sun only sets once a week. And it sets today, so everyone always goes to Park Ridge to cook food and watch it. Lucky for you guys, it's all free."

"The sun only sets once a week? You only sleep once a week?" Jayne asked, dumbfounded.

"Jayne, you don't need it to be night to sleep." Zoë answered.

"Well… now I know." Jayne replied, trying to make himself sound smart.

"Okay, when does this shindig start?" Kaylee asked. Luka turned and motioned for them all to follow her.

"In about an hour. In the meantime, we'll get you guys your beds and such." They walked through the town, minding their own business, observing how life worked here. Maybe it was just him, but it seemed to Mal that people would avoid them. Were they afraid of the newcomers?

Soon, they came to a large, two-story house. It looked old, and worn. It was white, at least, it had been at one point. The paint had been worn off, and now it was more of a dust color. The windows were old, and some even broken, the roof looked as though it would cave in any second. The entire house looked as if one wrong touch in the right spot, and it would come crumbling down.

"This is it." Luka walked up and opened the door, holding it for them. One by one they shuffled in. Inside, the house looked much nicer. Of course, it wasn't great, but nicer then the exterior. It had a homey feeling. It was nice, and happy.

"Aunt Chris!? I'm home! We got guests!" Luka called out. Footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. A middle aged woman in a simple dress appeared. Her graying blonde hair was slipping out of its messy bun, and she had strands coming down her face. Her blue eyes, were covered by a pair of glasses. She smiled, and it was warm. The house and her matched perfectly.

"Welcome! My name is Christine, feel free to call me Chris." She shook all their hands, stopping at Inara. She gasped, "A trained Companion, in _my_ home!" Luka stood in the background, covering her eyes with her hand.

"Aunt Chris… I'm…. gonna show them their rooms."

"Oh, of course, Lukie, I've got to go get ready at Park Ridge. I'll see you soon." She waved goodbye as she grabbed a basket full of fresh vegetables and headed out the door.

"Ok… right this way." She lead them up the stairs, which fed into a narrow hallway, she stopped and turned. "Alright. Now, there's five of you, and two spare rooms. It's only two to a room, that's all there's space for, sorry." They looked at each other and immediately knew how it would go. Jayne and Mal in one room, two of the girls in the other, and one bunking with Luka. "You guys talk it out. I'm gonna go prepare the beds." Luka turned and went into one of the rooms, leaving them in the hallway.

"Alright. We know how this is gonna go. Only thing to decide is which one of you is goin' with the girl." Jayne shoved his thumb over his shoulder towards the door Luka had gone into.

"I'll share a room with her." Inara offered. The others were surprised, they were sure it would have been Kaylee to bunk with her.

"Why?" Mal asked out of curiosity. Inara thought about it for a second, as if not sure if she should say what she was going to.

"I could be wrong, but, I got the impression that as we were walking through town, people were avoiding us. I just want to find out if they were and why." So, they agreed on the arrangements, and split into their rooms.

Inara followed Luka down the hall, and left where a door was waiting.

"This is us." She said as she opened the door. Inside was, yep, more math. Not as much as the shop, but still a lot. The walls were a tan color with a window on the right side of the room, which looked out over their garden. Against the left wall was a small bed and a wardrobe next to it. In the corner against the right wall was a desk. Only one thing stuck out in the room, and that was on the wall straight across from the door, there was absolutely no pieces of paper pinned up on this one. Instead, in the middle was a photo. A picture of a family of four. It was Luka's family. Her mother, father and brother. Inara immediately walked over to it to get a better look.

"My family." Luka showed up next to her. "My mother, Trisha; father, Samson; and my twin brother, Caleb."

"You were a twin?"

"Yup." She sighed and was silent for a while, then said with a sad tone, "But that was a long time ago." Luke plopped herself down on the bed. "You can sleep on this. I'll take the floor."

"Oh, no. I couldn't-"

"Please! My aunt'll have a fit if I let a trained Companion sleep on the floor. Just take it."

"Thank you." Inara said quietly. They were silent for a while. It was comfortable, with only a faint outline of awkward. _Strange, I feel completely comfortable around her. It's almost like she has a Companion's presence._ Inara thought to herself. "If I could pry a little, where is your family?"

Luke was silent for a very long time, almost as if going over what she was going to say over and over again. Then, with a clear, sure voice, she spoke.

"My family… died. When I was about 13, so, 2 years ago, my mother died of a genetic disease. Her death… killed my father. He became a drunk, and a basket case. Over time, he lost it. He had slipped into manic depression, and decided to kill my brother and I along with himself. He locked all the doors and lit the house on fire. As the smoke started to suffocate us, my bother threw himself against every door, with no luck. All the windows downstairs had been boarded up by my psychotic father who had already burned and suffocated to death. We took our only out, we jumped out of the upstairs window. I blacked out when I landed, and woke up in a hospital, with my aunt looking over me and my brother who was in the bed next to me. She told me that the house had burned down completely, I had broken a leg from the jump, also that I received 3rd degree burns all across my back. But, the hardest part was finding out that the doctors had discovered that Caleb had the same disease as my mother. So, as soon as he was better, my aunt sent him out into the 'verse to get medicine on a core planet. We, uh, never heard from him again. Anyway, I recovered, moved across town, and live with my aunt." She could talk about it so easily and freely, it amazed Inara. They were silent for what seemed like forever when Inara finally spoke.

"Do the townspeople hate newcomers and visitors?" Luka looked surprised.

"No way! We love new people here! What gave you that impression?"

"It's just, it seemed like people were avoiding us as we walked through town." A flash of realization crossed Luke's face.

"Oh… that would be because of me."

"What?"

"Ah, it's stupid, but ever since the fire people have called me cursed and such. Out here, such superstitions hold true."

"How could they do that? It's so… rude!" Luke laughed her warm laugh.

"That's life in the black."

* * *

Finally, an hour passed, and with growling stomachs and thirsty mouths, the group headed for Park Ridge. The walk didn't take long, the Ridge wasn't far. Park Ridge was nothing more then a large hill that rolled up on one side, and then on the other, dropped in to a sheer cliff that faced westward. It was cool outside, and there was an air of welcome, and family radiating off the crowd. People even seemed to accept Luke easier. She sat and talked to girls her age and such. Eventually, food was handed out and everyone split up into their own families to watch the sunset.

"Huh? What'd I say? Best seats in the house!" Luke said as she sat down on the edge of the cliff, her feet hanging down. Everyone sat next to her, hesitant.

"Don't worry. There's a net about 7 feet down." That comforted them greatly, and they sat and ate while looking over the landscape. Kaylee was trying to convince Mal that this wasn't so bad and Jayne and Zoë were arguing about guns, Inara and Luke were simply talking.

"No, no. Just try it!" Luke pushed the cup towards Inara. She was trying to get her to try the local specialty. Apparently, it was part alcohol, and that was a big no-no for Companions.

"I can't, Luke. I could get my certification rejected by the Guild."

"Oh, come on! How are they gonna find out? Inara, you're thousands of miles away from them, they'll never know. Just one drink!" Inara, unsure, took a sip. It didn't taste half bad, and soon, she had had a few too many. She remembered watching the sun set and cheering, but everything beyond that, black.

"Oh, jeez! Okay, C'mon, Inara work with us, here. Oh, you can still walk!唉，我的生活!*" Luke struggled with Zoë to get the drunk Companion into Luke's room, where she could sleep.

"Ok. Ok. I got it, I can walk. On my…. Own…" Inara was slurring her words horribly and wobbling as if she were floating in water.

"You think you can walk on your own. I got it from here, thanks, Zoë."

"No problem. Take care of her. It was a great sunset." Zoë soon slipped into her and Kaylee's room where she would be able to slip into sweet dreams. Luke was horribly jealous. She managed to get the useless Inara onto the bed, and covered, but, unfortunately for Luke, Inara wasn't interested in sleep like some.

"I'm telling you… he's infuriating! A 配第小偷*. He has zero respect for me or for what do I… he always calls me a whore, and, you know what?"

"No, please, enlighten me." Luke said sarcastically.

"It… hurts. I mean, when he… when he bedded with Nandi, it felt like he had ripped my heart out." Luke sat up now, worried and interested.

"Who're we talkin' 'bout here, Inara?" She asked, getting out of her comfy floor bed and walking over to the real one. Inara looked at her like she was crazy.

"What'd ya mean who am I talkin' about? Mal, of course!"

"Mal?"

"Mm-hmm."

"And, who's Nandi?"

"Well, she was my Companion turned whore friend who also slept with the guy I…." She got a look on her face. Luke recognized it.

"Oh no!而不是在床上*!" She grabbed the bucket she had ready and held it up to Inara's face as she vomited into it. When she was done, Luke put the bucket on her flower bed outside the window. When she looked back at Inara she was dead asleep. _Oh, she is going to have the _worst _headache tomorrow! Hey, not my fault. I told her to try it, not get drunk._ Luke got into bed herself and closed her eyes and dreamt of Companions turned whores, sunsets, and, much to her dismay, puke.

* * *

**Translations:**

唉，我的生活 --- "Ugh, my life!"

配第小偷 ---- "Petty Thief."

而不是在床上 ---- "Not on the bed!"

**Review, please! :D**


	3. Author's Note: IMPORTANT

**Alright, I'm sorry, guys, but this story is now on hold. Don't worry. I have another little fic in the works, and will post it ASAP. It will include all the same characters, minus those deceased, and Luke will be in it as well. I just want to try it out… same characters, different plot, different setting. So, go ahead an check that one out, and keep an eye on this. I may just pop up a new chapter now and then. Thanks!**

**-Bentdish.**


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